


The Engel-Peterson Detective Agency

by Thirdly, Tomacchi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Anal, Angst, Fingering, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:15:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7466505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thirdly/pseuds/Thirdly, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomacchi/pseuds/Tomacchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two detectives take on more than they can handle in their search for the men behind several murders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distant Calls

 

 

_Kane's tiny, five-year old hands held his very first report card and trembled with excitement as the bus slowly came to a stop in front of their community. As he all but rushed out of the bus with his peers, he noted that neither of his parents were waiting for him. The raven-haired boy shrugged and shook his head. His parents led busy lives and sometimes they forgot the time and had to rush out to pick him up. Sometimes, he even met them halfway to the house. Though the thought of not being picked up on time every time annoyed him, he knew enough to understand that busy minds tended to be forgetful at times._

 

_He was a prodigy. In spite of having the intellectual mind of a twelve year old, his parents wanted him to be around peers his own age growing up. The only exception was his Godbrother, an older blonde who was quite the intellectual himself. In spite of his school work being so easy that it was downright boring to him, Kane was still rather proud of himself for getting straight A+'s in his very first report card. The notes of all of his teachers made him giddy inside, as well. They all urged his parents to get him into a gifted private school and that his brilliant mind shouldn't go to waste._

_Eager to show off his report card, Kane dug out his house key from his pocket and ran the rest of the way home. As he placed the key in and turned the knob, he was surprised that it had already been open. He figured that one of his parents was getting ready to rush to pick him up and forgot something. He knew that they were home, because he saw both of their cars parked in the garage. As he walked inside he listened carefully to pinpoint where his parents were, but frowned when he didn't hear a sound. "Momma? Daddy? I'm home!"_

_He roamed the house, trying to find them, until he eventually wandered into the kitchen. Once there, he completely froze. "N-no..." He gasped. He was in a state of complete shock as he took in the scene before him. The scent of the blood hit him first. He felt faint as he gazed a the puddles. He took shaky steps forward, his eyes raking over the bodies as his mind immediately began to piece together what must have happened. His father was the first to fall, as his mother's body was draped over his._

_From what he could see, his father had been shot at least five times in the chest and his mother twice. His eye was drawn briefly to the sight of his father's gun, which was a couple of feet away on the floor. Even as he gazed at it, he heard the echo of his father's voice warning him never to touch the weapon._

_As fast as his mind worked out the situation, it was his heart that finally compelled him into action. His eyes filled with tears that rolled down his cheeks as he choked on a sob and made a grab for the phone. The handheld clattered to the floor and his tiny hands still shook even as he picked it back up to call the police. "H-Hello? I need help!" He squeaked into the receiver. "M-My parents...they...they've been murdered! Please! You've got to get over here!" He then fell onto his knees and sobbed. The operator tried to get him to calm down enough to tell her his home address, but his throat was locked so tightly that he could no longer speak._

 

* * *

 

 

"No!" Gasped a seventeen-year-old Kane as he shot upright in the bed he shared with his Godbrother. He heaved for breath, his sleeveless tank drenched in sweat, as he pressed a hand to his forehead and frowned. He pulled his knees up to his chest and scowled, hissing a low 'damn it!' as he remembered just where and when he was.

 

The last case he solved involved a young girl whose father had been beaten to death by her crazed step-mother. The pictures he had been studying of the crime scene had apparently stirred some of his own memories. "Damn it!" He hissed again, furious with himself. That particular memory hadn't invaded his nightmares for months.

The warm, large arm that wrapped around his shoulders was always a welcome comfort. He let out a shuddering sigh as he leaned against his beloved Godbrother. "Sorry I woke you." Kane whispered softly as a gentle kiss was pressed against his temple.

Gyro didn't utter a word.

Kane felt relieved.

The curly-haired teenager looked over at their alarm clock and let out a low groan. Four in the morning. "Guess it's no use trying to go back to sleep now." He grumbled as he sent an apologetic glance to Gyro and clambered out of bed. He began to stretch as the tall man stood up from his side of the bed. His eyes raked over his Godbrother's back. The man was absolutely gorgeous. To be honest, he always thought him to be gorgeous. When he was a child, a part of him was jealous of the waist-length blond hair that fell straight even after air-drying...and of the tall, strong physique that he naturally inherited. And, in spite of Kane having inherited them as well, he was once even jealous of his own godparents being alive and well.

But, as he aged and matured well beyond his years, Kane came to terms with most of it. Hell, he was even grateful for it.

He was startled out of his reverie by the knowing look in Gyro's teal-hued eyes as he was caught staring at him. He cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks burn. "You can go ahead and shower first. I'm going downstairs to browse the news articles on my laptop."

The one thing he didn't come to terms with was the injustice of his parents' death. All his life, he was consumed with the fire of vengeance. He had to believe that every murderous culprit he helped put behind bars took him a step closer to the men who murdered his parents nearly thirteen years prior.

The scent of tea caused the young detective to look towards the kitchen just as Gyro walked over to place a large mug on the coaster in front of his laptop. In spite of himself, Kane felt his heart melt just a little bit at the gesture. "Thanks." He told him.

"We've been hired to assist in a new case," Gyro began as he took a careful sip from his own mug.

His voice was deep and soothing to Kane, despite the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"A fifteen-year-old boy by the name of Momo, and no I am not making his name up, has been recently stabbed in the shoulder by his own father."

"For you not to have told me about this case sooner means that the boy's alive and well?" Kane asked sharply. The blonde tended to be protective of him and was always looking out for his health whether he wanted him to or not.

"He is recovering well. He was recently released from the hospital and has been residing at his best friend's house." The blonde replied, undaunted.

"Time to pay them a visit, then."

 

* * *

 

 

The orange-eyed teenager who opened the door for them downright gaped down at Kane as he and Gyro showed him their badges. He blinked as he read the words printed underneath...The E.P.D.A.?

 

"Detectives Kane Engel and Gyro Peterson from the Engel-Peterson Detective Agency," Kane stated in his professional tone of voice. "We are here to speak with Momoiro Takiwa." He had already gone over the case on the way there. Momo was a blonde and blue eyed kid, the spitting image of his father, Genbu Takiwa. His Japanese grandfather had married a woman of German descent, which explained how he came about such a name.

Kane had also looked into the taller teenager who stood before them. Leonardo Kenari the second. Son of Paulina Kenari and Leonardo Kenari the first, who was a naval officer that passed away five years prior.

Leo continued to gape at the detectives as they walked in. " _You're_ a detective? But, you look even younger than me!"

"Despite my appearance, I assure you that I am an experienced professional." Kane drawled.

"How old is he?" Leo asked the blonde man, point blank.

"Seventeen and three-quarters," Gyro responded, amusement bleeding into his voice.

"No freaking way." Leo scoffed. "Only two years older than me and Momo?"

Kane let out an impatient sigh as he held out his hand to Leo's mother. "Paulina Kenari? Kane Engel and Gyro Peterson. Taking the young Takiwa under your wing under such a great risk...I can't express how admirable such a sacrifice is."

After Paulina shook Gyro's hand as well, she looked Kane in the eye, worry etched into her voice. "The poor boy has no one." She whispered. "I just couldn't leave him out on his own." She motioned towards the stairs. "If you need to talk to him, he's in the guestroom."

"Thank you," Kane stated as he made his way up the stairs. He knocked on the door and then slowly approached the younger teenager, stopping a good few feet before the bed. "Momoiro Takiwa? I am detective Kane Engel, and this is my partner, Gyro Peterson. We've come to ask you a few questions." He let out a sigh when Leo refused to leave the boy's side.

"Please, sir, can he stay here?" Momo pleaded.

The detectives shared a glance and Kane relented. "Just try not to interfere during our questioning," He directed at Leo. "Understood?"

"Fine." Leo responded.

"Your father...was physically abusive towards you, correct?" Kane began. "Can you tell me when this began?"

The boy frowned as he thought of how to answer. "I think it started shortly after my birth mother died and he remarried..." He replied. "He...he said that I was all that remained of my mother and i-it hurt him to be reminded of her." His hand took hold of Leo's hand and he began to clutch it tightly. "T-told me that if I told anyone about the beatings, he'd kill me."

"Was he amorous at all with his new wife?" Kane asked as he took mental notes. His partner, on the other hand, was jotting everything down furiously onto his clipboard beside him.

"N-no," The answer was barely a whisper. "He said that, though she looked like her, her personality wasn't even close."

"Whenever he approached you, did he carry the scent of liquor on his person?" Kane questioned.

Momo nodded. "Almost always."

"Alright...One final question for today," Kane said as he looked Momoiro right in the eye. "Tell me, did he ever sexually abuse you?"

The room was dead silent until Momo spoke up. "Y-yes..." He muttered in a trembling voice.

Kane looked to Gyro before nodding at Momo. "I assure you that Gyro and I will do everything within our power to put him behind bars." The two detectives then stood up and began to head out.

Just before they stepped out the door, Leo halted them. "Listen, I'm not sure how your questions could possibly lead to catching Takiwa. But, you better hope that you've gathered enough information from Momo, because I will no longer allow you to question him any further about such painful events in his life." He hissed.

"I realize that I may have gone far in my questioning, but this is for everyone's safety..." Kane countered in a hushed voice, feeling rather indignant. "Either we can catch that man or he gets to run around doing as he pleases." He didn't want anyone to relive that kind of pain, but shit happened, and people had to learn to move on. Life wasn't all happiness and rainbows for everyone. He prided himself in keeping such violent criminals off the streets.

Instinctively, Gyro tugged Kane behind him. Though he wasn't surprised that Leo had believed that Kane went too far, he didn't expect to hear such an angry tone of voice being directed at the younger detective. "It is understandable that you are protective of your friend," He said in an icy tone as he leaned down towards the teenager. "But, I _insist_ that you think long and hard before ever raising your voice at my partner again." The look in his teal eyes left no room for argument and the wheat-haired man was satisfied to see the teenager take a wary step back.

As Gyro and Kane left the residence, Gyro gently put a hand on Kane's shoulder and gave it a squeeze of support. "We _will_ catch him."

"We will," Kane agreed. "This case might not bring me any closer to my goal, but it will still be one less person to cause others pain."

One less person to cause others pain? The words reminded Gyro of just what kind of pain Kane had suffered at such an early age...

 

* * *

 

 

_The twelve-year-old Gyro was at a complete loss of what to do. The angst in the household could be cut with a knife. When he first heard of his godparents being murdered, Gyro stormed through most of the stages of grief immediately. Shock, denial, guilt, and anger...though he had never disrespected Alex or Leah, he felt as if he had failed them when it came to his petty jealousy over Kane._

 

_The day of the funeral was a devastating day. Anyone that was still in denial by then had the rude awakening from the moment that the coffins were laid into the ground. When the ceremony was over, all three of the Petersons attended to the distant Engel family members in the different segments of the funeral home. That was when Gyro realized that Kane was nowhere to be found. He asked his mother and the panicked expression on her face was all he needed to bolt out the doors of the funeral home with an umbrella in hand. As he made his way through the paths in the middle of the storm, he couldn't help but feel utterly annoyed and disappointed with his parents and with all of the Engels. Just how could they leave Kane behind?_

_That was when he saw the five-year-old standing before his parents' grave, practically drenched from the cold rain that drizzled around him._

_Kane just stood there, looking at the engraving in the tombstones. He didn't know whether it was his own tears rolling down his cheeks or the very rain. Though his sleeve was already wet, he rubbed his cheeks with it to try to wipe his dark blue eyes. "Momma, daddy...Please, don't go..." He whimpered in a broken voice. "Don't leave me all alone. I-I'm scared..." His parents were his entire world and they were gone. He felt as if he was left in a bottomless darkness._

_An overwhelmingly painful feeling came over Gyro as he saw the boy that he had always known to be happy and full of life look so broken and torn. He could practically feel the hurt and fear that seeped out of him. A part of Gyro knew that Kane would never be the innocent, joyous boy full of laughter ever again. He approached the whimpering, weeping child as cautiously as if he were approaching the part of his heart that he had failed to protect...the part of his heart that he had never fully understood to be so important until that very moment._

_The blonde shielded Kane from the pelting raindrops overhead with the umbrella and knelt down into the wet grass to pull him into a warm, tender hug. A hug with which emanated feelings that were strong enough to melt away any resistance. "Don't be afraid," He said in a strong, clear voice. A voice that promised security, loyalty, and affection from that day forward. He lifted the still-trembling boy into his arms. "You're not alone." And Gyro would make sure that he would never be alone again._

 

* * *

 

 

"Let's stake out one of the two taverns closest to the first wife's grave site." Kane suggested out loud. "It's a bit of a long shot, but if his first wife was supposedly so important to him..."

 

"I'll get to work on getting you a fake ID." Gyro added in a slightly teasing tone of voice. "I doubt they'd let a seventeen-year-old in, even an esteemed detective such as yourself."

A few days later found the two detectives seated at the bar of one of the taverns, wearing casual clothes. The first tavern they staked out yielded no results. But, that night, they caught sight of Genbu Takiwa only a few hours in.

Kane was rather relieved that it was a slow night for the tavern. The less civilians there were, the less casualties they suffered. He walked right up to the man. "Mr. Takiwa, is it?"

Genbu scrunched up his eyes as he peered at Kane. "Buzz off, runt. I'm busy."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Kane responded as he held out his his gun and badge. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Momoiro Takiwa."

Before he was able to read him his rights, the older man spurred into action. He whisked his tumbler of beer at the detective's face and ran, shoving anyone aside who was in his way.

"Everyone, get down!" Kane ordered as he rubbed at his eyes and began to chase him down.

Gyro blocked the front entrance, but before he was able to pull out his own gun, Takiwa tackled him to the ground. The two of them punched and kicked at one another. Takiwa tried to escape his hold, but Gyro kept grappling him back down. Eventually, Takiwa managed to stab him in the thigh with his knife. "Argh!" The blonde detective cried out, but not before he shifted his weight and bashed Takiwa on the head with the butt of his pistol, finally able to knock him out.

When Kane caught up to them, he immediately pulled Takiwa's arms behind his back and cuffed him while Gyro crawled out from underneath him. "You have the right to remain silent when questioned," He gritted out through clenched teeth. "Anything you say or do can and _will_ be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future..."

While the raven-haired teenager finished reciting the Miranda rights, Gyro applied pressure onto his thigh with one hand while calling in the police with the other. "Yes...Genbu Takiwa. The tavern on the corner of 7th Avenue and 18th Street..."

When the two finished with their tasks, Kane shot Gyro a job-well-done grin that the blonde returned. But, then he noticed that his partner was becoming increasingly pale. "Gyro?" When the man slumped further down onto the ground, he choked on air. Time felt slowed down as his adrenaline spiked and he made his way over to him. "Gyro!"

Frantic, deep blue eyes were the last thing that Gyro saw before his head hit the ground.


	2. The Heirloom part 1

The Engel-Peterson Detective Agency

By: Thirdly and Toma

Chapter 2:

 

_**"Please, Gyro! I can't lose you, too..."** _

 

_Glen walked along with the patience that only grandmothers had. Gyro, though only ten years old, seemed to be doing a wonderful job of watching over Kane as they walked through the path of the park that led to the playground. She hoped that their odd camaraderie held strong as they continued to grow. They really understood each other, even through their seven and an half year age gap. When they reached the playground area, she took a seat at a bench and allowed them roam about, so long as it was within her eyesight._

_Gyro led Kane up the stairs of the slide at the park and sat behind him so that they could slide down together safely. Though he was only three years old, Kane wasn't afraid of anything and refused to use the toddler slide, preferring to use the 'big kid' slide instead. After they had their fill of the slide, the blonde began to push Kane on a swing. "If I grow up to be a pilot, would you study to be my co-pilot, Kane?" He asked, just to see what the younger boy would say._

_The toddler peeked at him over his shoulder and grinned. "Sure! What kinda plane? An army plane? A jet plane?" His parents began to realize that, though he was very much the three year old in body, Kane's mind was on the same level as Gyro. That's why he always preferred to play with Gyro instead of toddlers his own age._

_"A plane at the airport," Gyro clarified. "To take people anywhere they wanna go."_

_"You like high places?" Kane mused out loud._

_"Yeah," Gyro admitted._

_"Then let's play on the monkey bars!" Kane decided as he hopped off the swing and ran over to the monkey bars. The monkey bars were set in intersecting arches and were only four feet from the ground at their highest point. The dark-haired boy sat down beneath the arches and looked up as Gyro climbed it from the outside. He let out a squeal of delight when the older boy hung by his knees and reached out for him._

_Gyro carefully lifted Kane under the arms and began to carefully swing him back and forth. As he lifted Kane closer, he lowered his head to the boy's ear and whispered. "Kane, you're my very best friend."_

_Kane waited until the blonde carefully sat him back down and then dropped himself down to sit next to him. He rushed over to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "And I love Gyro!"_

* * *

 

The first thing Gyro realized when he opened his eyes was that he was groggy as all hell. He felt a slight burning sensation in his veins. At least he no longer felt queasy and faint. As he glanced around, he realized that he was in a hospital room. He wanted to pull himself into an upright position, but his leg felt stiff and difficult to move. His other leg felt overheated. The blonde carefully lifted himself onto his elbows and realized that Kane was draped over his good leg, asleep.

Gyro was hooked up to quite a few different things, so he couldn't reach out to run a hand through Kane's hair with his free hand. He wouldn't be balanced enough. "Kane," He called out. After a moment's thought, he spoke one of the few phrases that usually startled his Godbrother awake. "Kane, my mother's in the driveway. Quick! You have to help me hide the pizza boxes!"

"What? Godmother Gretel?" Kane murmured as he immediately straightened up. He rubbed his eyes, and as soon as they focused on the face of a smirking Gyro, he gasped. "Gyro, you're awake!"

A moment of silence filled the room as tears of relief brimmed in deep blue eyes.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Gyro couldn't make any promises, so he simply remained silent. He tried to reach out with his good hand to touch the side of Kane's face, but the younger detective took hold of his hand in both of his and kissed his knuckles.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Gyro apologized, his heart skipping a beat at the tender gesture. After another moment of silence, the blonde slowly dropped himself back onto the pillow. "Is Takiwa behind bars?"

A low growl fell from the teenager's lips as he finally let go of Gyro's hand. "He had laced his knife with snake venom!" He hissed, his hands clenching into shaking fists. "If the police hadn't taken him into custody, I would have stabbed him with his own knife for what he did to you."

Gyro's eyes widened. That certainly explained how his body had gone into shock. "How long have I been here?"

"It's been twenty four hours." His voice was a mere whisper. "Miss Paulina Kenari was kind enough to lend me her futon on such short notice. I didn't want to leave, but I had no choice…and I couldn't go back to our apartment, it's too far from the hospital…" He took a shaky gulp of air. "I was so scared…they nearly had you go through dialysis until your body finally responded."

The teal-eyed man closed his eyes in relief. Depending on the type of snake venom, things could have ended up far worse. When he opened his eyes again, it was to lift the hospital sheet and peek at his leg. The area around the wound was swollen. "This is going to involve a lot of recovery time and physical therapy, isn't it?" He stated dryly.

Kane briefly remembered the time that Gyro had a fracture in his left arm and it took him at least two months to fully recover. What ate at him the most was having to impose himself on others. He never really enjoyed the physical therapy sessions, either. "You will do what you have to in order to recover properly, Gyro Peterson." Kane demanded in his no-nonsense tone of voice. "Even if I have to shove the medication down your throat myself."

"Understood," Gyro replied, an amused smile tugging at his lips. He most certainly preferred an irritated Kane over an anxious or hysteric Kane. "You really slept over at the Kenari household?"

"As I stated before," Kane huffed. "I had no choice."

Gyro's smile became smug. "You're going to have to take good care of me for the next couple of weeks. As your manager, I insist that we take no further assignments until I'm fully recovered."

Kane had no doubt in his mind that his Godbrother was going to milk the situation for all its worth. "Understood," He grumbled. Not having any assignments was going to drive him insane. But, he'd take it so long as he ensured that Gyro recovered well.

 

* * *

 

Travis ran his hand through his platinum blond hair as he sat at the stairs that led to the front door of what was once his grandmother Glen's house. She had passed away a month before, and the house had been inherited by a girl named Michelle. Travis hadn't even met Michelle before the reading of his grandmother's Will, but apparently the girl had been with his grandmother nearly all her life.

He didn't really care to whom his grandmother gave her belongings to. But, he still felt a pang of jealousy towards his other cousins. They had all received their inheritance perfectly fine. They all had their things to remember her by. Travis, on the other hand, was supposed to inherit an important family heirloom. A jewel encrusted sword with the family coat of arms branded at the base of it. He had always stared in awe at the sword when it used to be set on a display case in the hallway of the immense house when he was a child.

But that sword, the family heirloom, had gone missing. At a loss of what to do, Travis had called his cousin Gyro. He hoped that the detectives would be able to unravel the mystery behind the missing heirloom.

Travis stood up, ready to walk inside the house dejectedly when he finally caught sight of a taxi dropping off two familiar faces. "Gyro! Kane!" He greeted as he rushed forth to help them with their bags. "I'm so glad you came."

Gyro had a solemn expression on his face. During most of the last month of his grandmother's life, he had been recovering from the snake venom with Kane at his side. Neither of them were able to see her one last time, but they did attend the funeral. The wheat-haired man gave his cousin a tight hug before he exchanged a look with Kane. "Lead us to our designated guest room. As soon as we unpack, we can begin the investigation."

Kane helped Travis with their bags, slapping Gyro's hand away as the blonde tried to lift his own. "I got this." Though his last check up with the doctor yielded great results when it came to his recovery, the younger detective wasn't going to take any chances.

As the group made their way inside, Travis gave them a short summary of what happened. "Just how can an heirloom as big as a sword just disappear?" He whined in a stressed voice. He led the young detective and his manager to the room that was closest to the kitchen. Though Michelle was still a stranger to him, she was kind enough to accommodate Travis, Gyro, and Kane in the house that she had recently inherited while they searched for the sword.

Gyro listened attentively to all that Travis had to say while jotting down notes. "And you say that the new owner of the house is allowing us full access to search?"

"You can ask her yourself if you'd like," Travis replied hesitantly. "I...still don't know very much about her."

The first obvious thing that came to Kane's mind was the possibility of another family member stealing it out of jealousy or to even sell it. He thought about the possible list of suspects already. The new owner of this house was one of them. "Travis, can you please give me a copy of your grandmother's Will?" He asked as he turned to look at Gyro. "We'll start with some routine questioning."

"Alright," Travis replied. "I have a copy of it in my room, I'll bring it down." That being said, Travis left Gyro and Kane and headed up the stairs to the right guest room. "I'll be back in a few, then." He said as he walked over to his own room to search for his copy.

As soon as Travis was gone, Gyro helped Kane unpack their things. "I have a feeling this investigation's going to take a while."

Kane nodded in agreement. "But, that just makes things more fun." He admitted sheepishly. When the blonde began to put things away, he let out a huff. "I can unpack it myself, you know. I'm not a little kid. Besides, you need to rest, you just recently healed after all." He stated as he sat Gyro down on the bed and unpacked the rest of their clothes.

"Hmm, I just wanted to help a little, that's all." Gyro replied. "As much as I feel like I'm just in the way, I'm very grateful that you've decided to help my cousin." He reached out to take one of Kane's hands. He brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "But, I'm even more grateful to be by your side."

Kane blushed, giving Gyro a small, rare smile full of warmth. "No problem. And I'm glad you're by my side as well."

Travis wanted to turn right back around. He felt like he was walking in on something private. But, he figured that finding the family sword was more important. "Hate to interrupt, but I found my copy of the will." He said as he handed the document over to Kane.

"Oh, thank you." Kane said, taking the copy and handing it to Gyro for both of them to read. "Everyone on here is family except one person, correct? Michelle Sain, was it?"

"Yes, Michelle Sain is the current owner of the house," Travis said. "I don't know exactly how she knew grandmother but, surely, my grandmother cared for her a great deal."

"The only thing I can think of is that she's the one in most need of a house. Everyone else on this list is either too young or too old to be needing a house." Kane pointed out. He noticed that even Gyro and his name were there, as well.

As the two detectives continued to look the copy of the Will over, there was a light knock on the door that Travis reached out to open. Michelle stood there, holding a small box on top of a larger box in her arms. Travis immediately helped her place the boxes down.

Gyro did a double take as he finally recognized the young woman. "Shelly?"

Kane turned his head sharply towards Gyro. He knew her? His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he committed her features to memory. She had brown hair and blue eyes.

"Gyro and Kane, right?" She greeted with a smile. The smile turned sheepish as her gaze fell on Kane. "You probably don't remember me. You were a toddler the last time I saw you. My name's Michelle. I used play with you and Gyro when you came here for visits."

Gyro looked towards Kane. "We used to call her Shelly."

"Shelly?" Travis asked, testing out the nickname. "That's kinda cute." He looked at the boxes. "These have your names on them." He said while handing Gyro the smaller box.

Gyro opened the box as carefully as one might handle a bomb. There was a note on top of another box inside. He began to read it out loud. "In hopes that you'll get a move on with your life…I'm sure your mother wants to be a grandmother someday, too." The blonde winced as if he heard his grandmother's voice right there in the room vividly. Inside the second box were his grandmother and grandfather's wedding rings. Though his eyes were sad, Gyro couldn't help but smirk. That old lady was a trip even in death. He already missed her.

Kane looked over at the bigger box and saw that his name was on it. What in the world could Gyro's grandmother have gotten him that was so big?

Michelle looked at Kane and nodded her consent to his opening it.

Kane tilted his head, but carefully opened the box. He saw a note on top of what appeared to be a train set. The young detective gazed at it and began to read the note. "My intentions aren't to leave you this to remember me by. I would rather that you remember the fun times you had. Happiness is but a memory away. It is something you cannot touch, but it will always be inside you."

"You used to play with that all the time, do you remember?" Michelle asked softly.

For a brief moment, a sad smile formed on Kane's face. "Vaguely…but, yes."

As Kane touched one of the train compartments, a memory drifted through Gyro's mind.

 

* * *

 

_The Petersons and the Engels were both invited to Glen's house over the weekend._

_"Welcome, dears." Grandmother Glen called as she neared the group. Beside her stood a stiff-looking butler with a fancy mustache, her favorite employee._

_At the sound of his grandmother's voice, Gyro jumped out of his father's arms and ran to hug Glen. "Grandma!"_

_With all the loud sounds, Kane rubbed his eyes. As he opened them, the brilliant blue caught Glen's eye. "What a beautiful baby boy," she commented as she gently ran a hand through the baby-soft black curls._

_"Mother, just wait until you hear him speak. You'd think he was closer to Gyro's age than a two year old." Gretel gushed. "Such a brilliant boy."_

_Gyro shifted his weight from one foot to another, waiting ever impatiently for the group to stop fawning over Kane so that he could play with him. That was when he felt someone poke him on the side. "Gah!" he yelped as he looked in the direction of the touch. "Who are you?"_

_Glen stopped talking when she heard Gyro's question. "Oh, I almost forgot! This is my favorite guest. The next door neighbor's daughter, Michelle."_

_Michelle smiled at them all. "My name's Michelle Sain. It's very nice to meet all of you!"_

_Leah was about to introduce herself when her son began to fidget and reached out for a certain blonde boy._

_"Momma, put me down! Gyroooo!" He whined, continuing to reach out for the older boy._

_Leah blinked in surprise, but did as the boy requested. She looked on as Kane made an attempt to run towards Gyro, but fell over and made a face like he was about to cry._

_Just as Kane's face changed into a sad expression, Gyro rushed forward to scoop him up. "Hey, it's ok," He whispered to the toddler._

_Michelle smiled. "You're almost like his big brother, huh?"_

_"He's my Godbrother," Gyro responded._

_Kane stifled his sniffling when Gyro grabbed him. He instantly buried his face into the older boy's shirt, trying to hide himself from Michelle. Every so often, he would peek at her before hiding his face again when she caught him looking._

_The girl let out a giggle. "He's so cute!"_

_"Ah," Glen said. "I know just the thing that would keep the children busy." Maurice, go fetch the box in George's room."_

_With a slight bow, the butler made his way up the stairs and retrieved the aforementioned box. He set it before the children and opened it to reveal a train set._

_A bright smile appeared on Gyro's face. "Let's set it up together!" He said to Kane and Michelle._

_Kane saw the design on the box and instantly got excited. "Train! Gyro, look! Train!" The boy said happily, bouncing in the older boy's arms._

_Leah and Alex couldn't help but laugh at that. "You know him too well, he's always been fascinated by trains. We can't go to a store without him finding a book on them." Alex chuckled._

_Gyro went ahead of them both, putting the tracks together. Kane was about to do the same, but Michelle handed him the train carts._

_"Kane, why don't you put the train together while we do the track? The train's the important part after all," She said._

_The toddler did just that, snapping piece after piece together. When he was done, he turned towards Gyro and showed him. "Train! I put the train together!" He cheered._

_With the three of them working together, the train set was set up easily. Gyro ran a hand over Kane's hair. "Well done, Kane. Why don't you set it on the track?" Gyro waited until the round little fingers placed the train carefully onto the track before flipping the switch that activated the train._

_Shortly after, the train started to move. Kane was really awestruck then, watching as the small scale train station came to life. The boy's eyes sparkled with excitement, watching as things moved and lit up._

_Michelle saw this and laughed. "He's really enjoying this, isn't he?" She mused as Kane's joyous laughter rang in the air._

_Kane studied the controls for the train set. He deciding that he wanted to try it out. The toddler pressed button after button to see what signaled what, and it wasn't long before he figured it out and started making the train move around the way he wanted._

_"He's really smart for such a little kid!" Michelle commented as she gaped at Kane._

_Gyro laughed at the surprised expression on Michelle's face. "The smartest." He replied as he watched the path that Kane had chosen for the train. "Would you like to ride a real train one day, Kane?" He heard the whistle of the train and scratched the tip of his nose. "At this rate, you'd probably be the one doing the driving."_

_Kane smiled happily at Gyro when he heard his question. "Yes, Kane drives." He responded happily, making the train stop then clambering into Gyro's lap._

_Michelle smiled at them. "Kane, would you mind sitting with me? I won't bite, I promise!" She suggested._

_Kane looked up at Gyro, as if asking what he thought about that. Seeing that it was okay, he went over to her and plopped in her lap._

_The girl's arms instantly wrapped around him as she hugged the little boy, causing him to giggle. "Gyro, tickle him!" she commanded with a laugh._

_"Tickle him, huh?" He asked with a mischievous grin. The blonde's hands reached out and paused before suddenly diving down to gently tickle the toddler._

_Kane let out a string of giggles as he squirmed._

_Leah heard the laughter and peeked into the room the children were in, Gretel right behind her._

_Gretel smiled as she watched the children as well. "They're getting along so well together."_

_"That's really good. I was afraid Kane might not be able to have a normal life with how smart he is. He's going to have enough trouble playing with kids his own age as it is. So, it's nice to know he can get along with older ones." Leah admitted with a small smile._

_Gretel shook her head. "I'm sure he'll be able to get along with everyone just fine."_

 

* * *

 

Gyro was startled out of his memories when the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it!" Michelle said as she rushed to answer the door.

Kane was still looking over the train set when he heard a familiar voice downstairs. His Godmother's. "Oh no…" He muttered in slight despair.

Gyro held a hand to his own head. "Oh no is right. I didn't realize that my parents were still in the area."

Travis shook his head at his cousin's antics. "Prepare for the worst, because I guarantee that ninety-five percent of our family is still out and about. Grandma was well-loved, you know."

Kane's knuckles turned white as he finally let go of the piece of the train set that he was touching. "Yes, she was well-loved." He hissed as he stood up as a brief memory of Glen's aged smile flashed in his head. "And to not respect her dying wish is a downright insult to her name." He would find out what happened to the sword that rightfully belonged to Travis. He would do it for the memory of the woman who treated him like a true grandson.

 


	3. The Heirloom part 2

 

Gretel and her husband, Gerald, stepped through the all-too-familiar entrance of the house that had once belonged to her mother. She reluctantly took off her sunglasses, revealing her red, watery brown eyes. She let her husband hang up her coat and hat on a rack, her soft blond curls falling over her shoulders. "My, how you've grown," She commented as she regarded Michelle with a strained smile. "It felt like only yesterday that you were a tiny thing and playing around in this very house with the boys."

Gerald set a hand on his wife's shoulder, a sadness filling his green eyes. He ran his free hand through his short brown hair and pulled her closer. "We can't stay for very long." He said as he glanced around the entrance.

"You can stay for as long or as little as you need." Michelle offered.

Travis, Kane, and Gyro were walking down the stairs to greet them, but Gretel rushed up half way to hug them all. She began with Travis. "Look at you, Travis! You look so handsome." She crooned. She then took a few steps up the stairs to properly hug her tall son. "So glad to finally see you walking about without any difficulties. Kane's taken so good care of you." She saved her godson for last, practically smothering the short teenager against her chest. "Have you been eating well, sweetie?"

"Gretel, calm yourself," Gerald said as he all but wrenched Kane free from her grasp. Their son had been attacked and her mother had died. The woman was clearly feeling a little more paranoid about everyone's health than usual.

When Kane was finally freed from everyone's grasp, he fixed his hair and straightened his clothes as if nothing happened. "I've been eating fine, Godmother. Gyro's been making sure of it." He assured. He didn't bother to add that the two of them had been strictly on a healthy diet so that Gyro could recover as fast as possible. As for his Godfather, he simply gave him a respectful nod. "Godfather."

"Godson." Gerald responded with the same exact gesture, giving him a nod in return. He knew both of his sons well and was never one for embarrassing them in any circumstances.

"How is my sister doing?" Gretel asked Travis, her attention finally diverted.

"She's fine," Travis replied. "Ended up having to fly back home after the funeral due to work." He turned towards their host. "Michelle, why don't we show my aunt and uncle to an unoccupied room so that we can let Gyro and Kane finish settling themselves in?"

"Of course. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, just follow me and I'll show you to the next available room." She agreed with a smile.

As soon as the group dispersed, Gyro and Kane went back to their designated room. The blonde carefully laid himself down on the bed, a frown on his face. He didn't want anyone to notice that he felt a bit of an ache. "All this traveling and my family running about has been wearing me out." He sighed.

"Yeah. There went my energy for the day," Kane groaned. "She somehow manages to wear me out every time we see her." He peered at him and noted that Gyro appeared a bit strained. Immediately, he took out some aspirin from the kit he stuffed into his tote and handed them to the man. "Here, these will help." He then took a seat next to him on the bed.

Gyro didn't know whether to feel relieved or embarrassed when Kane handed him the meds. "Thanks." He said as he swallowed the pills dry. He took a deep breath and looked over at Kane, allowing a moment of distraction while the medicine took effect. He sent him a half smile. "Isn't your birthday coming up soon, Detective Kane?"

The wide eyes that greeted that statement were answer enough. "Hey, you're right," Kane mused out loud. "I had completely forgotten." Between their previous case and this family case, his eighteenth birthday was the least of his priorities.

Eighteen…didn't that mean that he was finally physically at his first stage of adulthood? Kane felt a shift in the temperature of the room. As he licked his dry lips, he realized that the heat was rising from his own body and had nothing to do with the room itself. He shot a quick glance at Gyro and a blush rose to his cheeks. How many times had he tried to make advances at the man beside him only to be turned down because of the ridiculous notion of age?

The blonde noted the pink tinge that appeared on Kane's face and wondered just what the teenager was even thinking about. Not liking the strange tension that was building, he decided to break the silence. "What are your thoughts on the missing sword?"

The younger detective's breath hitched as he was reminded why they were really there in the first place. Gyro was right. Now just wasn't the time to think about those kinds of things. The man had just recovered from a poisoned wound, for crying out loud! He cleared his throat before speaking. "Something's not adding up. I can't imagine why anyone on our suspects list would even do a thing."

"Agreed," Gyro responded. "But, the sword couldn't have grown a pair of legs and walked out of the house on its own."

After a moment's thought, the blue-eyed teen gave a decisive nod. "Then, we'll start by checking over the entire house. I'm not completely ruling out the thought that it could have simply been misplaced or hidden away by grandmother Glen before she passed." Kane suggested.

"Sounds like the place to start." Gyro concurred. He sat up and reached out to take hold of Kane's hand. "Listen Kane, about your birthday-" He stopped talking when he caught sight of a shadow shifting under the door of the room, indicating that someone was out in the hall. "We'll talk about that later." He concluded as he let go of the teenager's hand and motioned towards the door with his head.

Kane frowned when he realized that someone was trying to eavesdrop on them. "Yeah, we can plan with the family later. I can see that you're tired." He continued the thread of conversation. If someone wanted to eavesdrop on them, then it would be a conversation that could take place out in the open. "Here, let me brush your hair." He said as he shifted behind the blond and began to brush the blonde locks.

Both detectives had their eyes focused on the shadow beneath the floor. The person quickly moved away when the sound of running was heard from the other side of the hallway. A moment later, Travis walked into the room and gaped at them.

"Whoa!" Travis gasped at he stared from Kane to Gyro and back again. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No," Kane huffed as he continued to brush Gyro's hair. "I always help Gyro with his hair before we turn in for the night. It's gotten quite long, as you can see." He sent Travis an irritated glance. "Did you need something, or were you just trying to sneak away from your aunt and uncle?"

"Man, you always know more than you let on," Travis confessed. "Coming to check on you guys was the only way Aunt Gretel and Uncle Gerald let me escape in one piece."

Gyro ushered his cousin to come closer and whispered low enough for only the three of them to hear. "Travis, did you happen to see anyone standing by the door on your way here?"

Travis frowned and thought for a moment. "I think I did see someone turn the corner earlier, but I only saw an arm and a leg."

"Do you remember the color of the clothes?" Kane questioned.

"Black…but, seeing as how everyone's mourning grandma, everyone's wearing black." Travis pointed out.

Gyro and Kane shot each other a glance before the younger detective let out a sigh. "In any case, Gyro and I are turning in for now. He needs his rest. I suggest you hide out in your  _own_  room from here on out."

Travis let out a noise of disappointment. "You guys are no fun. But, I guess I'll catch you later, then."

Kane walked over to shut the door behind Travis and sent Gyro a rueful glance. "Looks like we won't be getting much rest tonight."

 

* * *

 

 

That night, true to their words, Gyro and Kane searched a segment of the house at a time, constantly on alert for anyone that might still be awake.

 

Gyro carefully knocked on the walls to hear if there were any inconsistencies while Kane checked the floors. "I remember when we used to play hide and seek all over this house. You always seemed to find me wherever I hid, but I couldn't find you as often as I would have liked. I never liked that feeling...not being able to find you."

The young detective looked at his manager, a small smile forming on his face at the thought. "You were bigger than me, so you obviously had less places to hide. You know that I've always been able to tell when things have been moved from the last time I had seen them, so I guess I had an unfair advantage against you, to boot." He admitted.

Gyro shook his head as he rounded the last corner. "Nothing." He declared.

"Unless grandma was an expert at hiding lucrative heirlooms on purpose, it's a high probability that the sword is no longer in the house." Kane concluded. He took hold of Gyro's wrist and began to lead him back to their room. "You know, we  _do_ still have a conversation pending."

The blonde began to rub at the edge of his thigh as they walked back, still feeling a touch of stiffness where he was stabbed. "We'll have to talk about that another time. I think I'm going to take a shower and get some sleep."

"Fine." Kane grumbled, but conceded. When they got back, he looked on as Gyro grabbed his night clothes and a towel upon entering the bathroom. The house was truly closer to the size of a mansion. With a bathroom in almost every guest room, he wondered briefly just how many of the Peterson family members came to sleep over throughout the years. Could one of them have truly stolen the sword?

As he heard the sounds of the shower being turned on, his thoughts turned to his Godbrother. His mind replayed for him one of the first moments he confronted Gyro about how they felt for one another.

 

* * *

 

 

_The two of them had just finished reading another complicated mystery book when Kane shifted to sit on Gyro's lap._

 

_Gyro merely raised an eyebrow as he waited for his Godbrother to speak._

" _I have one more birthday gift for you." The thirteen year old Kane admitted, a slight blush streaking across his nose and cheeks. "Twenty-one is a special birthday, after all."_

" _Oh? Another gift?" The blonde teased._

_Kane nodded, becoming quiet all of a sudden. "I want to give you something special…something that only I could give."_

" _And what's that?" Gyro asked, curious._

" _I…I want to give you my first kiss." Kane confessed._

_The young adult's face was in pure shock. "Your first kiss?" He asked, dumbfounded._

" _My first_ _ **real**_ _kiss."_

" _I don't understand…"_

_By that point, the thirteen year old felt aggravated. "You_ do _," He insisted. "I_ _ **know**_ _you do!" And, without hesitating a moment longer, he took hold of the sides of his Godbrother's face and pressed their lips together firmly._

_Gyro's eyes fell shut and, when Kane pulled away, he closed the distance between them once more as he gave Kane a kiss of his own._

_Kane felt his heart fluttering in his chest. By the third time that their lips met, neither knew who leaned into the kiss in the first place. The eager teenager gently bit the blonde's lower lip and began to suck on it when he was finally shoved away. Gyro's teal green eyes appeared a shade darker, but as he studied them, he realized that they were dilated. They were more beautiful than he had ever seen them._

_But then, Gyro's face morphed into an upset frown. "Kane…this isn't right."_

_Just like that, the raven-haired teen felt a sharp pain in his chest. "We're not related by blood." He hissed._

" _That's not what I meant…"_

" _Being attracted to other men is a matter of genetics." Kane pointed out._

" _I didn't say it wasn't." Gyro countered._

" _You can't possibly expect me to believe that you didn't feel anything!"_

" _I never said I didn't!" Gyro practically barked. When he saw Kane folding his arms across his chest, he let out a weary sigh. "Kane, despite what I may feel…you are only thirteen."_

_Kane was still glaring at him. A small part of him understood where his Godbrother was coming from, but the majority called straight up bullshit._

_The blonde gently lifted Kane's chin. "If you still feel the same at eighteen, then we'll talk. I promise." He vowed. "But, until then, I ask that you respect my wishes."_

" _Eighteen? Why are you making me wait so long?" Kane grumbled. "I'm not making any such promises. I refuse to."_

_Gyro shook his head and sighed._

 

* * *

 

 

When Gyro emerged from the bathroom, he wore his long pajama pants, but no shirt. His wheat-hued hair was pulled back into a mid-ponytail. He turned his face away when he realized that Kane was staring at him.

 

Kane didn't say a word to him as he passed him to take his own shower. He didn't even care that the water was already starting to run colder than it was before. With a sigh, he found himself resorting to something he hadn't allowed himself to do since he was sixteen. His hand slid down his stomach, long fingers curling around his half-hardened member, as he slowly stroked the length of it. His other arm laid across the tile of the shower wall to brace himself as he increased the pace. The pads of his fingers occasionally trailed down his sac and between his testicles before sliding back up to dip into the slit at the tip.

A small moan escaped him as he finally found release. " _Gyro..._ "

By the time that the young detective got out of the shower, his Godbrother was already fast asleep. He couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face at the sight. "How much longer are you going to make me wait?" He whispered. Kane bent down to gently kiss Gyro's cheek as he clambered into bed right next to him.


	4. The Heirloom part 3

 

Kane awoke with a slight start. He took a deep breath as slowly and quietly as he could while he waited for his heartbeat to slow back down. The latest nightmare was a repeat of the scene at the bar when his Godbrother had been stabbed by Takiwa. He kept still as his eyes rolled to the side so that he could peer at his partner. When he saw the slow and steady rising of Gyro's chest, his own body finally relaxed.

If Kane was honest with himself, he was quite selfish. He had a vicious desire for revenge. The case his parents were involved in had been cold for over a decade, but the thirst for retribution consumed him. Beyond that, he felt an equally as vicious desire for the man lying beside him. However, that was a desire he had every intention to quench in the near future.

He considered the blonde to be his, plain and simple. He knew that a possessive and selfish kind of love wasn't wholesome and right. And he knew that until he matured and moved past his selfish feelings, he wouldn't be worthy of Gyro's love. But, that didn't stop the endless longing and desire for the blonde.

Just as he was deciding whether to drift back off to sleep or to get up, he heard a particular song chiming from his cell phone. The young detective immediately slipped out of bed to answer it. "Detective Kane," He stated into the receiver. He felt Gyro stirring behind him, but his concentration was centered on the call.

"Kane, you're not going to believe this," came the voice of Officer Thomas, a friend of the two detectives. "The case you gave consent to re-open, the one with your parents almost 13 years ago? They were able to extract some DNA."

Kane's breath hitched. He had been lucky that his parents' case had been chosen for a testing of the latest DNA detecting technology in the hopes of re-opening the case. "Any leads?" He asked, feeling a bit dazed at the very prospect of it.

"The man is already behind bars. You put him away yourself," Thomas replied with a tinge of amusement in his voice. "Genbu Takiwa. The other two DNA samples only had partial profiles."

The teenager felt as if he had swallowed an ice cube and it was slowly sliding into his stomach. How was such a thing even possible? Immediately, his mind began to delve into different recollections of facts. Genbu Takiwa. The man was forty-five years old. Fifteen years ago would have made him thirty. According to his profile, he had lived two towns away from his parents for the last twenty years. "Thomas, I don't care how long it takes, but arrange for me to talk to him."

"Will do, Kane. Though, it really might take a while," Thomas replied, anxiety bleeding into his voice.

"I've waited this long," Kane concluded as he finally met Gyro's gaze. The taller man had been leaning in close so that he could hear. "And Thomas? Thank you."

Gyro waited until the two of them said their goodbyes and Kane pressed the end button on the screen of his phone before saying anything. "Was that really Thomas?" He wondered out loud. The police officer had been Gyro's friend first and then grew to add Kane to his list of close friends, as well.

"Mm," Kane replied with an affirmative sound.

A small glint of hope and mischief shone in his eyes, something that Gyro hadn't seen in many years.

"Genbu Takiwa's DNA was found at the crime scene of my parents' case," Kane explained. "He was there."

Jade-hued eyes widened. "We need to question him."

"One way or another, we will," Kane assured him.

While Gyro headed into the shower to get ready for the day, Kane walked over to the chair he laid his jacket on and pulled out a frayed, blue index card from one of its wide pockets to read it over. It was the last note his mother had left him in his lunch bag.

**Son of mine,**

**It's report card day! Whether your grades are good or bad, your father and I promise not to be upset. We'll celebrate the good grades and help you raise the bad ones. Remember that.**

**Much love,**

**Mom**

**P.S.- Dinner is your pick tonight! Be ready to tell us what you want when you get home!**

He smiled sadly at it. "Just wait a little longer, both of you," He whispered out loud, "I'll find the person that tore my world, no, our world apart." He then slipped it back into his pocket and walked over to the bathroom to take over the sink while Gyro showered.

A part of him wondered what he'd do once he caught the people responsible for his parents' death. Would his reason for becoming a detective be gone? Would he retire and urge Gyro to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a pilot? He had no future plans, no idea what to do with himself afterwards. He shook his head and glanced at the foggy mirror, partially relieved that it couldn't reflect his own surly expression back at him. One day at a time. He breathed and lived one day at a time.

The two detectives dressed casually and headed down the stairs for breakfast. Gyro's father, Gerald, Travis, and several new family members were already seated and were eating. They were all various shades of blonde.

"Good morning!" Chimed their hostess Michelle as she saw them walk in. "More of the Lyon family members showed up early this morning, but I made plenty of breakfast for everyone. Please help yourselves."

Kane served himself. He poured himself a glass of milk and grabbed himself some pancakes. He placed his plate down and urged Gyro to sit down next to one of his cousins. "Tell me what you want and I'll get it."

The wheat blond man gave him a smile. "Just waffles with syrup is fine."

Travis saw the interaction out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but snort, almost choking on his orange wedge. "They just keep acting like a happily married couple," He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Kane stated in a cocky tone with the intent to irk Travis. He set up Gyro's plate and poured him a glass of orange juice before sitting down beside him.

Michelle peered out at the Peterson and Lyon families and noticed something. "Kane, you stick out so much over there...you're the only one with dark and curly hair." She declared.

The teenager blinked and looked around. He had never really paid much attention to it before. He shrugged. "I am adopted into the family, after all," He concluded.

Gyro laughed at the exchange. "I'm sure Kane has long been used to it by now," He added as he gently squeezed the detective's hand. "I personally have always liked the contrast." Though Gyro was prudent enough to keep from showing too many physical signs of affection towards Kane in front of others, he couldn't quite hide the emotion in his eyes.

His father didn't miss the look of devotion he sent Kane. Though Gerald pretended to be immersed in his newspaper as he finished his breakfast, he was most observant. He had his suspicions about how the relationship between Gyro and Kane changed throughout the years, but he kept them to himself. So long as they were happy, the details mattered little to him.

Travis couldn't help but smile as Michelle sat next to him. Though he had long finished his food, he remained seated for the mere pleasure of being beside her. "Wouldn't do for the hostess herself not to eat, as well."

Kane snorted at the sight but kept quiet after that. His appetite was usually all over the place whenever they worked on a case. One day he'd eat someone out of the house and home and the next day, he'd barely eat a thing.

Once the young detective was finished, he placed his dishes in the dishwasher then shot Gyro a glance. "I'm heading back upstairs. Text me if you need something." He said before walking back up the stairs.

When he got back to their room, he realized that the clothes they had laid on the chairs were gone, including his jacket. His mind raced through the faces of anyone that would have come in to grab their clothes. Michelle? She was downstairs. The butler? He didn't see him in the hallway. His Godmother! She hadn't been downstairs eating with his Godfather!

Kane rushed down to the laundry room, hoping against hope that he arrived in time. The first thing he saw was his jacket lying on the table. He rushed towards it and breathed out a sigh of relief when he realized it was dry. But, then the scent of dryer sheets wafted towards him. Frantically, he checked the pocket where he usually kept the index card, but there was nothing there. Wait, in the corner! He felt as if his heart stopped. All that was in the corner was some crumpled up blue material.

The young man's face morphed into several different expressions. Regret, despair, and ultimately, sorrow. "How could I have been so stupid to leave it in the pocket?" He hissed through a sob as he clutched the jacket to his heart and hunched over, shoulders shaking as he tried desperately to reign back his tears.

As he slowly walked back up the stairs, still clutching his jacket, he heard the distant sound of Gretel's voice coming from the kitchen. But, he had no one to blame but himself. He knew that his Godmother always meant well. She probably even wanted to surprise him by washing his favorite jacket for him.

Kane dragged his free hand down his face, feeling a bit worn. When he reached the top of the staircase, he caught sight of the butler Maurice heading down the hallway. In a mere moment, he righted himself and carefully began to follow him. He had his suspicions about the butler from the very beginning.

Over the years, Maurice had become less stiff. However, he still sported the same fancy mustache that both Kane and Gyro recognized well. The butler's hair was now salt and pepper with grays and whites. In the past, it was a soft brown. He followed grandmother Glen's instructions without any hesitation, but the family still knew next to nothing about him.

The young detective followed the older man all the way to a door that opened to the stairs leading up to the attic. Kane made his way to the door, kept hidden, as he waited for the butler to come back down so that he could investigate what was up there. After several minutes, Maurice stepped back out into the hallway with a dusty box in his arms. Kane quickly dashed up the stairs and was surprised to find the attic fairly empty save for a few boxes, most which seemed far too small for a sword that large to fit in.

He let out a sneeze when he breathed in some of the dust. As he covered his nose with his hand, he saw something propped up on the corner. The blue-eyed young man walked over to the object and realized that it was a baseball bat. He picked it up to examine it and became instantly lost in a distant memory.

 

* * *

 

 

_A four-year-old Kane looked out the window, feeling bored. The child seemed as if he was looking for Gyro…as if he was just waiting for him and his family to visit._

 

 _Leah noticed this and picked up her son. "I've got an idea, why don't_ we  _visit Gyro's house for a change? The Petersons said that we come over whenever we wanted when daddy's busy like today." The redhead suggested._

_Kane's eyes brightened right up. "O-okay mama!" He said excitedly, grabbing his jacket and putting his shoes on quickly and following Leah to the car._

_When they arrived at the Peterson household, Kane waited around for a while in Gyro's room, hiding under his bed so he could catch him by surprise._

_Despite Kane's wish for Gyro to keep his hair long, the eleven-year-old chose to cut it. He made friends far easier when they didn't tease him about looking like a girl. By the time the blonde arrived, it was already four in the afternoon. He heard his mother's worried voice and peeked around to let her know that he was home. Before she had a chance to smother him, though, he slid out of her grasp and made his way to his room. "Gotta put my stuff away, mom," He whined as he walked away._

_Once in his room, he dropped his backpack onto the bed and started taking off his shoes. As soon as he sat down on the bed, he let out a startled yelp when Kane jumped up at him._

_"Got ya!" The smaller boy laughed as he grabbed onto the blonde's leg._

" _Kane!?"_

_The joy on Kane's face instantly dampened upon taking in the sight of Gyro's short hair. "Why'd you cut your hair?" He asked in a chastising tone of voice while he ran his small fingers through what was left of the older boy's hair._

_Gyro weakened completely under Kane's concerned eyes. "I explained before that I was being teased terribly because of my hair. Now, everyone's finally off my back." A slight frown came over his face when he realized just how much Kane liked his hair long. "I'll let it grow back later, ok."_

_Before he could say anything more about it, Kane heard the sound of kids outside. He rushed over to the window. "Gyro, are those some of your friends?"_

_"Yeah, they are."_

_They heard some quick conversations coming from downstairs between Gyro's mom, Gretel, and his friends. A few moments later, the group walked right into Gyro's room._

_"Hey, guys." Gyro greeted them as he placed a hand on Kane's shoulder. "This is my best friend, Kane. Kane, these are my friends Nick, Thomas, and Sam."_

_Nick raised an eyebrow when Gyro mentioned Kane being his best friend. "Yeah?" He said with a chuckle. "Isn't he a bit too_ young _to be considered your best friend?"_

_"Yeah, it's pretty weird for a little kid to be your best friend. You're twelve now, after all!" Thomas added to Nick's statement._

_Kane frowned at them. "What's age matter? Friendship's still friendship."_

_"Whoa, are you sure he's just a little kid? Most preschoolers can't even speak that well!" Sam said in surprise. "He might be smarter than you, Gyro."_

_Gyro shook his head at the girl. "You could be right about that. Kane might very well be smarter than me." He confessed._

_"Whatever," Nick complained out loud. Gyro would have been his best friend had Kane not existed, so he wasn't ready to play nice with the four-year-old just yet. "Can he play baseball?"_

_"Nick, you_ crazy _? The kid's four, all he probably knows is how to play catch. And he doesn't look like he's even good at that." Thomas said, Sam nodding in agreement._

_"Really? People say there's no way I can do a lot of things. Can I try playing baseball with you?" Kane asked. He didn't care if he couldn't play right, not if it meant that he could spend more time with Gyro._

_Gyro reluctantly agreed. The four older boys explained the rules and the gist of how to play. When it was Kane's turn to bat, he started off sourly with two strikes._

" _Ha ha ha! I'm not even throwing hard!" Nick teased in a mean-spirited way. "This is your last chance, baby." He said as he wound up to throw the ball a third time._

_In spite of Nick's jeers, Kane had been observing carefully how the ball was thrown. When he saw the ball coming towards him for the third time, he was finally prepared. He aimed quickly and hit the ball as hard as he could. At the angle that he swung, the ball ended up zipping straight back towards Nick, hitting him right in privates._

 

* * *

 

 

Kane let out a soft snort as he remembered the girly shrieking that came out of Nick's mouth. "Grandma Glen sure kept the strangest things…" He mused out loud.

 

"Master Kane?" Maurice gasped when he reached the top of the stairs. "What are you doing up here?"

The detective turned around to face him. "The door was open, and I found Gyro's old bat," He replied smoothly. "Do you know if grandma Glen still had his old gloves, as well?"

"Yes, yes," The butler replied as he picked up another box. "I am bringing everything down at the request of Miss Michelle for the family to go through it. Come, I'll show you where the gloves are."

As Kane followed the aged butler, he let out a soft sigh. What reason would he, or anyone else, have to steal a sword? He made a mental note to himself to research just how much a sword of that caliber could be worth.


	5. The Heirloom part 4

After Gyro had finished his breakfast and spent some time with his family, he excused himself to hunt down his Godbrother. As he walked up the stairs, he was pleased to note that the stiffness in his recovering leg was diminishing more and more. He needed to be in decent shape in order to keep up with Kane on his cases, so it was a great relief that he was well on his way to getting there. Being a hindrance to his partner felt like quite the punishment to him.

When the twenty-five year old entered their shared room, he found his Godbrother sitting at the desk and glaring at the screen of his laptop. Gyro also noted that the teenager's beloved jacket was no longer on his person or draped on the chair. His teal eyes peered towards the closet and he was shocked to find the dark violet jacket hung up on a hanger. The blonde man couldn't remember the last time he had ever seen that jacket properly hung up in a closet. "Kane?" He began to ask.

"Something's just not sitting right with me." Kane stated for the umpteenth time as he felt Gyro's approach. "After some research, a few calls, and texts," he explained. "I found out that the price of the sword would have been only three-thousand at the most, and that's including the jewels."

"Three thousand, in the right circumstances, is still worth stealing," Gyro pointed out, effectively steered away from the subject of the jacket. "But, no one in the family would be that desperate, is what you mean."

"Not even the butler Maurice." Kane mused out loud as his gaze fell on the baseball bat and glove that he had placed on the bed for Gyro to peruse. "He brought down all the boxes from the attic for the family to sort through. Grandma Glen even kept those tucked away."

As Gyro held the bat and glove, he was reminded of a childhood that felt a great, great distance away. A smile tugged at his lips. "Though he didn't quite deserve it at the time, I would say that hitting Nick in the gonads was preemptive justice." He admitted as he placed the items on the ground next to the night stand, propping the bat up against it.

A wicked smirk formed on Kane's face as he stood up and walked right up to the blonde, shoving him backwards so that the taller man sat on the bed. He then knelt on the bed, straddling a leg on either side of Gyro's as he held the back of the other man's head and peered down at him.

"He was in love with you, but he went about it all the wrong ways." The teenager said as he trailed a finger down the side of Gyro's face.

"And you don't consider _this_ a wrong way?" Gyro questioned, drawing forth a frown from Kane. He took the opportunity to ask the younger man of his concerns. "Kane, about your jacket…"

"Gyro! Kane!" Travis called out as he burst through the door with Michelle in his arms. "We were having a stroll around to the backyard and she just ended up fainting!" He explained as he laid her down carefully on the bed. His cousins had quickly scampered to their feet upon his arrival, but for once, the fact that he had caught them in yet another intimate position didn't matter. His worries were all focused on the brunette.

Gyro immediately assessed her pulse and let out a sigh of relief when she began to stir awake.

"Where am I?" Michelle asked groggily.

"You're in one of the guest rooms with Gyro, Travis, and myself." Kane explained softly. "I suggest that you don't try to sit up all at once."

Michelle's blue eyes sought out Travis's light brown ones before giving him a shaky smile. "Forgive me, I was staring at the door of the back yard and I think the sun just became too much for me." She told him.

However, Kane noted how the pupils of her eyes dilated slightly before she even began speaking. "Can I have a moment alone with Miss Sain?" He asked Gyro and Travis. "I promise I will be brief."

Gyro gave him a sage nod and herded Travis away, despite his complaints. The platinum blonde kept looking behind him at Michelle even after Gyro closed the door after them.

Kane let out a slight sigh. "Now then, would you please tell me what really happened?" He gently prompted. At her surprised expression, he merely added. "Something…tragic happened to my parents when I was five years old. That my parents died was public knowledge, but what very few know is that I saw the aftermath of it with my very eyes."

The young woman's face paled. "Kane, I'm so sorry." She began as she tried to lift herself onto her elbows, but then she felt a slight wave of dizziness and flopped back down.

"Please, keep reclined for a little while." Kane insisted. "It's been nearly thirteen years, so I can talk about it without heavy repercussions." He gave her a small, strained smile. "The point is that I can recognize the signs of repressed memories in others because I still sometimes struggle with my _own_ repressed memories."

Michelle bit her lower lip in anxiousness as she wrung at her hands. "I…" She began, her voice lowering down to a near whisper. "I didn't want to say so in front of the Lyons and Petersons, especially not Travis and Gyro, who were so attached to her. B-But…" She took a shuddering breath and found her strength. "I think…I think I was here when everything happened."

* * *

_Mrs. Lyon had insisted that she stay until the storm passed that day. Michelle didn't mind staying for a bit longer. So, while Glen began to knit in her favorite rocking chair by the fireplace, the young woman decided to warm some cookies for them and make tea. She already knew her way around the kitchen, so it only took her about ten to fifteen minutes to return to the living room with a tray of the cookies, a teapot, and cups._

_What Michelle saw caused her to drop the tray and let out a shriek. A bulky man held the elderly woman's mouth closed with a glove as he held a sword in his other hand. Glen's own screaming was muffled as she struggled, but Michelle's presence startled the thief and he ran off. The brunette had rushed forward as Mrs. Lyon collapsed onto the ground with a heart attack. Maurice, who had been dusting upstairs and changing the bedsheets, reached the bottom of the stairs just as they heard the door of the backyard slamming closed._

* * *

"And you're certain he was male?" Kane asked as Michelle finished recounting what she remembered.

"Very wide shoulders, so I could only assume it was…" She confessed.

"Please describe him with as much detail as you can."

"He…wore a very thick green jacket up to his elbows. He had hairy arms and black gloves…his hair was dark red and was pulled back in a short ponytail. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were. His face from the nose down was covered in a mask." Michelle recounted in a trembling voice.

"Can you remember anything else, even the smallest detail?" Kane urged.

"A tattoo," She responded with a frown. "When he held Mrs. Lyon's mouth, there was a tattoo on his forearm…it looked like a bird of some sort."

"What kind of bird?"

"I don't know," She admitted. "It wasn't a seagull…"

Kane held his head as a sharp throb pulsed within. He saw strange flashes of memories until his mind settled on a specific one.

_"You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Momoiro Takiwa."_

"Not a seagull, but a tern!" He concluded. Genbu Takiwa had a tern tattooed on his forearm, as well. He hadn't noticed it at first, since he was splashed in the face with beer. But, he had definitely seen it when he had him cuffed.

"Yes, a tern, how did you…?" Michelle mused outloud.

But, Kane had already grabbed a toolkit and headed out the door. "Travis, take care of Miss Sain while Gyro and I investigate."

As Kane tugged Gyro towards the door of the backyard, he informed him of Shelly's repressed memories. "Genbu Takiwa had a tern tattoo on his forearm, as well." He concluded as he knelt on the ground and opened up his toolkit, handing Gyro a blacklight and tugging on a pair of gloves himself.

"We can't be certain that the thief had a tern tattoo, specifically. Bird tattoos are common." Gyro pointed out as he began to scan the door from the top.

"Yes, but on the forearm, as opposed to any other part of the body?" Kane added as he worked from the ground up. He held a high quality camera in his hand with enough of a zoom to be able to detect the smallest balls of lint.

"It's still quite common." Gyro persisted. But, his attention shifted down to Kane when the younger man made a noise of discovery.

Kane used a pair of tweezers as he retrieved his prize, a single strand of dark red hair. "Good thing our thief is not a _natural_ redhead." He mused as he placed the strand into a bag and stood up. The strand clearly showed that the root of the hair was light brown, and a strand with the root was ideal for DNA testing. "I think it's time we pay Thomas a visit."

* * *

Sometime later, Gyro and Kane walked into the police station where Thomas worked. Thomas informed them that the DNA testing would take a few days and that he would inform them of their findings.

"About Takiwa, like I said, it will take a while." Thomas affirmed as he briefly took off his police cap and raked his fingers through his red hair. Unlike the thief, their friend was a natural redhead with freckles.

"Like I said, we can wait." Kane responded.

"Thanks again, Thomas." Gyro added.

When the two detectives stepped outside, they came across someone that they would have preferred not to have crossed paths with. He was once Gyro's closest friend after Kane.

"Gyro?" Nick gasped at the sight. He had been walking with his head down and his hands in his pockets on his way to grab some lunch with Thomas. His expression immediately soured upon seeing his old rival. _"Kane."_

The man was more handsome in his mid-twenties than he was in his youth. His brown hair was in a coif and his dark brown eyes were accented with a set of well-shaped brows. He would have appeared approachable if it weren't for the ill intent he directed towards Kane.

Kane immediately hooked his arm around Gyro's arm and leaned closer to the blonde. "Nick." He spat back, undaunted.

"Heh," Nick scoffed, his malicious gaze shifting towards Gyro. "You know, it may not have felt so pedophilic back then, but it certainly feels like it now. He still looks like he's barely older than _ten_."

Gyro reacted before he could even think. "How dare you?" He hissed as he clutched at Nick's shirt collar. "Did our friendship really mean _nothing_ for you to try to mar it this way?"

"Hey, he's not worth it," Kane retorted as he sharply tugged Gyro's arm. "As for _you_ ," He directed towards Nick. "You might want to secure your phone before it gets hacked into. Just saying."

During the entire drive back, Kane was silently fuming. Few could get under his skin like Nick could. As he glared out the window, he recalled when things began to take a turn for the worst with the brown-haired punk.

* * *

_The seven-year-old had proved that he could keep up with the fourteen-year-old's assignments, so the Petersons had made an arrangement with the principal to allow him to take Gyro's classes in high school. The ease of which some of the classmates handled the situation helped the other students get used to it as well._

_Their last class of the day held an interesting surprise for Gyro, as well. "Nick? Thomas? Sam?" Gyro greeted as he and Kane entered the room to get some seats._

_As soon as Thomas and Sam saw Gyro and Kane, their faces lit up and they greeted them back. The pleased smirk on Nick's face when he saw Gyro, however, faltered when his eyes fell on Kane. "I see_ _**someone's** _ _still tagging along with you, eh Gy?"_

_Kane glared at Nick. "I'm not tagging along, I'm_ _**enrolled** _ _here," he muttered as Sam and Thomas's eyes widened._

_"Whoa, really?" Sam asked in amazement, looking to Gyro who nodded._

_"Kinda strange having a little kid in the class." Thomas mused. He then noticed Nick's frown. "Hey Nick, don't tell us you're still sour about what Kane did. C'mon, man. He was four. Besides, you deserved it." He laughed, patting Nick on the shoulder._

_Kane just looked at them in a disinterested manner before burying his head against Gyro. Sam noticed this and frowned, glancing towards Gyro as if asking with her eyes what was wrong with Kane._

_But before Gyro could say anything, the teacher came in which meant it was time to sit down. Kane made sure to get a seat next to Gyro, watching as the older boy went to inform the teacher about Kane._

_When the class was over, Gyro walked up to his friends and explained things as simply as he could. "Kane's parents passed away two years ago. He is part of my family now and lives with me." He pinned Nick with a warning glance. "Upset him in any way and I_ _**will** _ _reciprocate."_

_Nick's mouth fell open at the clear threat. Was the brat's family's death enough to turn Gyro against his own friends? He could barely believe how much he had changed and couldn't help but feel hurt. A part of him couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't somehow upset Kane._

_Sam frowned. "That's horrible..." she muttered._

" _I can tell it had a big impact on him." Thomas nodded in understanding. "Though I have a feeling you're leaving parts out..."_

_Gyro sent the redhead a glance that urged him not to pry during school hours. The blonde teenager underestimated how much his friends cared about him, because after a quick stop at the public library with Kane, the two of them were surprised to see the trio waiting for them at the Peterson household._

_"Uh...hey." Gyro reluctantly greeted._

_"Oh, come off it. You have no excuse not to hang out today. None of the teachers assigned any real homework!" Nick pointed out. His gaze fell on Kane, as if daring him to say otherwise._

_Kane looked at Nick before glancing up at Gyro and tugging on his shirt. "I'm going to go in my room and read. You can stay here and talk if you want, I'll be fine." Kane said with a small, weak smile. He hated lying to Gyro, he knew he'd be lonely. But, he also didn't want to hog Gyro all the time. Besides, he really didn't want to be around Nick._

_Thomas frowned at that. "Oh, c'mon Kane, you can hang out with us too. We won't mind!"_

_"Yeah, we can find a game we can all play." Sam added but Kane shook his head._

_"No, I have no interest in playing games. I'm heading to my room." Kane replied before going up the stairs and into the room that was now his then closed his door._

_Gyro frowned as he saw Kane go up the stairs. He decided to have an extended talk with his friends and then he would politely ask them to keep such visits to a minimum. "Everyone, come with me." He said as he led the group to the backyard. He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples with a hand. "Listen, things are more complicated than they seem right now."_

_"Kane's parents didn't just pass away," Gyro explained. "They were_ _**murdered** _ _. Kane was the one who found their dead bodies when he arrived home from school one day." He rubbed his arms as he continued. Though he wasn't there, he could almost feel Kane's pain as his own. "My parents are his legal guardians...we are the only family he has left now."_

_Nick developed a sour expression on his face. "Are you listening to yourself?" He asked. "All it is with you is 'Kane this' and 'Kane that'. He's already a burden to you! That little shit will keep slowing you down until he learns how to get a life."_

_"Nick, that's going too far-" Sam started but jumped back when Gyro lunged at Nick and made him hit the ground._

_The blonde's hand was clutching the collar of Nick's shirt as he loomed over him and his eyes had taken on a cold, vicious look. "You never were one to listen properly," He hissed. "Kane isn't the burden,_ _**you** _ _are. Have I fucking made myself clear enough for you?"_

_Nick had been jealous of Kane before, but he had never understood to what extent or why until the moment that Gyro glared down at him with such ill intent in his eyes. The blonde was simply breathtaking, even in pure anger. If getting Gyro to hate him was the only way for Nick to become his focus of attention, then so be it._

_Thomas moved to break the two up. "Hey, hey break it up! This is not the place for this, guys!"_

_The other two pulled Gyro and Nick onto their feet reminding them where they were. But, Nick wanted to hold onto Gyro's attention for a little longer. A twisted smirk formed on his face. "Heh. I'm the burden?" He sneered. "I'll remind you of that when you're old and realize that your entire life's been wasted on a damn brat."_

_Thomas and Sam had to use all their strength to hold Gyro back. "Gyro, no!" Sam pleaded._

_"He's not worth your getting riled up," Thomas reasoned._

_"Get out," Gyro hissed at Nick. "And don't you ever step foot in my house again. You're no longer welcome here." He then shook his arms free from Thomas and Sam's grasps. "I'll see you two in class. You both know your way out."_

_When Gyro reached his room, he noticed the subjects of the books that were laid out on the bed and the teenager felt his jaw tighten slightly. The two of them seemed to be researching similar things. "Hey," He said softly as he approached Kane's curled up form and ran his hand through the black hair. "The group's gone. I don't think they'll be hovering around here after school hours from now on."_

_Kane clambered onto Gyro's lap. He nuzzled his head against the teenager's chest and glanced up at him, confused by that statement. "What..? How come? They're your friends." Kane countered. "I don't mind if they're over. Besides, I have other things I can do when they're over." He added, looking over at the books._

_Gyro buried his nose in Kane's curls and kissed the top of his head. "We see them enough during and between classes. They're an unnecessary distraction when they come here." He gently rubbed Kane's back in small circles and smiled wryly. "Besides, Nick's become a nasty piece of work."_

" _Then why did you always hang out with them before?" Kane asked. "Though, I can't argue about Nick. I wonder what happened to him."_

_"I hung out with them before because I wanted to know what it felt like to be carefree and normal like them," Gyro explained. Kane might be a prodigy, but the blonde himself had always been gifted. "We ended up going to different schools after that."_

_After a moment of silence, Kane spoke up once more. "Gyro? Do you have any idea at all why my parents were murdered? They were great people. I don't remember them ever doing wrong." Kane muttered as tears welled up in his eyes. He used his sleeve to keep them at bay._

_"Mm, they were amazing people," Gyro agreed. "The only thing I could think of is that something went wrong with Godfather Alex's work. Whoever went after your parents wanted to conceal something big."_

_"That must be it, because if they wanted my family dead, they'd have gone after me too, right?" Kane asked as he looked up at the young teen. He looked at the detective book they had borrowed from the library and held it up to Gyro. "Do you think we can read this together sometime? It's the only book I didn't get to yet."_

_"You mean, you finished all the others while I was…of course you did, why should I be surprised?" Gyro responded with a short laugh. "Of course we'll read it together. Let's start right now," He replied with a smile as he took the book. They read until it was time to eat dinner and, after their meal, they got into bed._

* * *

_The following year had Gyro and Kane with their hands full. They both had a slew of advanced classes, at least half of them were college course credits. True to his word, Gyro allowed his hair to grow out. The strands barely reached his shoulders, but he would always keep it pulled back into a ponytail. The blonde kept attracting more and more of the attention of the girls. He was mature, responsible, and focused. But, then again, so was Kane. And Gyro was rather relieved that Kane was too young to attract any of the girls in that manner. Though, he knew that wouldn't last forever._

_Though Thomas and Sam saw Gyro and Kane less and less, they were still good friends. Nick, on the other hand, made it his mission to annoy them both whenever he got the chance. Gyro figured that it was probably due to jealousy since the two of them had excellent grades and girls fawned over them effortlessly._

_Gyro felt the approaching presence of someone distasteful and urged Kane to go on without him to class first. Kane was no fool. He knew that the older boy was probably protecting him from Nick. So, he made it look like he was heading for the class before waiting a bit then sneaking his way back to where their locker was. He managed to hide himself against the nearest set of lockers without being seen and started listening to their conversation._

_As Gyro approached the locker he shared with Kane, Nick showed up out of nowhere and leaned against the locker nearby. "Heh. Where's the runt?"_

_"If you are referring to Kane, he's already gone to our next class," Gyro replied dryly._

_Nick raised an eyebrow and reached out suddenly to briefly tug on Gyro's ponytail. "You're growing out your hair," He commented with a frown. "Is it because of that hobbit?"_

" _Tch!" Gyro hissed in pain. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Nick. "I don't appreciate the way you keep insulting my best friend."_

_Nick's hand slammed against the locker as he loomed over Gyro's form. "That's right, just keep glaring at me. I'm getting used to the cold daggers those seagreen eyes keep sending my way."_

_Gyro didn't let Nick's height scare him. Over the past year, Nick had grown to be about a foot taller than Gyro. He lifted his head in defiance. "How else would you expect me to treat you?" He replied. "Why can't you understand that any slight against Kane is a slight against me? He's friend and family to me." His eyes became distant for a moment and his voice softened. "No, I think he's even more..."_

_Nick was amused at first with Gyro's initial reaction, but a vicious scowl formed on his face when he heard the last phrase and how it changed the blonde's demeanor completely. "You," He growled as he shoved Gyro against the locker and slid a hand down the side of his throat. "You can't be serious...not a kid." In a swift movement, his hand moved to roughly grab and tug on Gyro's hair. "Goddamn it, Gyro! Not him!"_

_Kane felt like his heart almost melted hearing Gyro say he was a friend and family. He enjoyed hearing that. Yes, he knew that the Petersons thought of him as family, but somehow, hearing it from Gyro meant the world to him. He couldn't make out the last part, but he could tell from Gyro's expression that it must have been more loving words. That little bit of happiness disappeared swiftly when the boy saw Nick shoving Gyro against the lockers. He growled and ran right over to Nick, kicking him as hard as he could in the shin. He watched the tall teen stumble and used his chance to kick him right in the balls._

_"Don't you dare touch Gyro like that again!" Kane frowned, pure anger and hatred in his blue eyes. "After the way you've been acting, you're lucky he's even_ _**talking** _ _to you!" He added, fighting back tears. Gyro was the one who took Kane under his wing and didn't deserve to be treated like that. He then headed over to Gyro and hugged him, burying his head into the blonde's waist. "Gyro did nothing wrong."_

_One of Gyro's hands immediately stroked the top of Kane's head and the other rested on the boy's shoulder as he was hugged. The teenager looked over at Nick, who was hunched over and glaring sharp daggers at the back of Kane's head. He let out a tired sigh. It seemed as if Nick still understood nothing. "Come on, Kane, we've wasted enough time on someone who refuses to listen to reason."_

_Kane simply kept nuzzling his head against Gyro. "Gyro did nothing wrong...nothing." He continued to mutter and began to weep. Why was he getting so upset over this? Was it because he was scared of Gyro being taken from him, too? Why? Why was it that others wanted to take his loved ones away? He didn't like it..._

_"Kane...thank you." Gyro whispered as they walked away from Nick and entered the classroom door. He leaned down and kissed the boy on the cheek in appreciation quickly before anyone else saw._

_"Thank you for what?" Kane asked, tilting his head. "You...you were doing nothing wrong, Nick shouldn't have treated you that way." The boy muttered as the two took their seats. He was feeling a bit strange, but he put it to the back of his mind as the class began to fill with their fellow students. He began to zone out, his breathing off. The blue-eyed boy had a shortness of breath and began to cough._

_He vaguely remembered feeling similarly in the past, but never as strongly. He certainly had less stamina during playtime activities and he occasionally limited his activity to prevent wheezing. So, why was this happening now? Wait, he ran earlier when he was leaving the class to go check on Gyro? That's right, he ran as fast as he could..._

_When the teacher came in and the lesson started off as usual, Gyro felt that something was a bit off. He looked over to see Kane coughing and a deep frown formed on his face. Gyro stopped paying attention to the class and carefully scooted over to press his hand on Kane's forehead. "Are you ok? How are you feeling?" He asked in a whisper._

_Kane rubbed his eye with his tiny hand, glancing towards Gyro when his hand touched his forehead. He found it harder and harder to breathe. "I-I've...had this before, it'll...pass I think." Kane muttered as his speech became broken. He grasped his chest as it started hurting. 'I-it feels so tight…what's going on? I'm scared...!' He thought to himself as breathing became all that much harder for him._

_As soon as Kane's tiny hand grasped his chest, Gyro stood up so fast that his chair fell with a clatter to the ground. He took Kane up into his arms. "Something's wrong with Kane! I'm taking him to the nurse's office!" He told the teacher a moment before taking off to the nurse's office._

_Upon recognizing Kane's condition, the nurse immediately called the Petersons and, sometime later, all four of them ended up in the hospital._

_"G-gyro..?" Kane began, still having some trouble speaking. "Do you...know how your parents and my parents met? I...want to know, too."_

_Gyro was about to tell Kane everything he wanted to know, but just then, his mother stormed in. She was wilder than Gyro had ever seen her._

_"Kane, sweetie, are you still having trouble breathing?" Gretel ranted at high speed as she brushed back the curls from Kane's forehead. "I remember Leah mentioning that you had some trouble breathing, but she never told me exactly what she meant by that and I never thought to get her to elaborate-"_

_"Gretel, please," Gerald sighed as he firmly took hold of his wife and pulled her away. "Don't smother the boy. You can't cause him any more anxiety!"_

_The doctor finally came in and took Gerald and Gretel aside to explain to them all the details of Kane's asthma attack and all that was necessary for any such future cases._

_While his parents were finally distracted, Gyro turned his attention back to Kane and gave him a gentle smile. "Your mother was from Europe and moved here when she was little. She made friends with mom and they've stayed friends ever since," He told him. "And your father was friends with mine when they were in high school. I think that mom made dad introduce your parents and they were close friends ever since."_

_"So in a way...we've kind of always been family." Kane deduced, smiling weakly. "Since our parents were so close and all, I mean." A small frown formed on his face. "But wait...if they were close to the same age, why is there such an age difference between us?" He asked, seeing the Petersons come back in during the middle of his question._

_Gretel sighed. "That would be because of Leah's father. He never accepted Alex as a suitable partner for her."_

_Gerald placed a hand gently on Kane's shoulder. "But Alex never gave up. Your parents really loved each other and they did their best to persuade your grandfather that Alex would be a good husband and father. They tried to show him for years."_

_"In the end, they married against his wishes." Gretel finished. "They didn't let anything keep them from being happy." She leaned down to kiss Kane's forehead. "And you made them happy the most."_

_"Just as we are happy that you are with us," Gerald added._

_"Thank you...for letting them meet." he said weakly. If it hadn't have been for them, he may not be here._

_Gretel held her tongue this time. Though it was true that they loved Kane and he was part of their family, she was more grateful that death hadn't taken Kane away from them, too. Gerald and Gretel missed their best friends something fierce. Kane was their most vivid reminder of them._

_Gyro gave Kane a very soft hug. "I was so scared," He whispered low enough for only Kane to hear. "If I had lost you, I think I would have gone crazy."_

_"You dummy." Kane muttered. "You should...know I'm not going to let their death be in vain. Besides that, I'd miss you too much if I was dead." He concluded with a yawn. "I...wanna go home."_

_"Yes, let's go home."_

_After a trip to the pharmacy to drop off Kane's prescriptions, the group made their way home. Gyro wasted no time in reading a book aloud to Kane while Gerald waited out the medicine and left to pick it up._

_After a while, Kane put his small hand over the book. "Let's...stop for a while." He pleaded. "Why didn't you tell me Nick was bothering you?" He asked, his big, blue eyes staring deep into Gyro's teal ones._

_Gyro bit his lower lip as his eyes met Kane's. "I'd rather that Nick targeted me than you. I honestly don't know why he hates us so much, but if arguing with me makes him feel better..."_

_Gyro couldn't very well allow Nick to target or get anywhere near Kane. If being the center of Nick's anger was what it took to keep Nick's focus away from Kane, then Gyro was more than willing to be the detour. "Just let me handle Nick. He's hardly in any of our classes anymore anyway."_

_Kane shook his head no. "Let me help. I want...I want to be able to protect people I love. Please?" Kane begged, wiping at his stray tears and rubbing against Gyro's arm as his tiny arms wrapped around it. Everyone was always protecting him and Kane wanted to do the same._

_His gaze fell back on the book they were reading. "Gyro, what do you think about growing up to be detectives?" He had considered going into law enforcement when he grew up but detective work felt like a calling to him._

_Gyro smiled. "I think you'll make a fine detective one day." He nuzzled the top of Kane's head for a moment. "But, right now you should get some rest."_

" _If you think so, I know it must be true. You never lie to me." Kane responded with a pout. He didn't want to go to bed yet. He wanted to read more of the book. "C-can we at least finish this chapter?"_

" _Of course," Gyro conceded, unable to deny his Godbrother anything._

_"Good night, Gyro. I'm really glad I get to live with you." The little boy yawned out as he drifted to sleep._

_Gyro couldn't help but kiss Kane's forehead. "I'm glad you get to live with me, too." He whispered before making himself more comfortable and allowing sleep to claim him, as well._

* * *

Once the two detectives were back in their designated guest room, it was the blonde that felt an approaching storm. He could tell by the nearly murderous aura that surrounded his Godbrother.

"Tell me," Kane all but growled. "That you don't see me the way that asshole does."

"Of course I don't, I never have," Gyro responded carefully.

"Oh, but you _do_. You still do," Kane huffed as he began to pace. "Denying me my wants and desires." He stopped pacing to look directly at his partner. He walked right over to poke him in the shoulder. "I am _not_ a ten year old, Gyro. I'm a _man_."

Gyro gaped at the teenager in shock. A shiver of fright rolled up his spine. Whenever Kane got like this, he would always do something drastic. He opened his mouth as he tried to find the right words to tell him, but he didn't get the chance to utter a single word.

"My body might still be playing catch up, but there is no law that states that I can't do _this._ " Kane declared as he rose to the tips of his toes and tugged Gyro down into a fervent kiss.

The blonde man found himself staggering back and falling back onto the bed as the younger detective tried to devour him with his tongue, lips, and teeth. He couldn't help the groan that resonated from the back of his throat when the teenager slid a hand into his pants and took hold of his-

" _Holy shit!"_ Travis hissed as he stepped into the room. He would forever be blinded by the sight of Kane with his hand in Gyro's pants and his teeth tugging on his cousin's bottom lip. "I mean, damn, can't you guys just lock the freaking door for once?"

The tone of Kane's voice was quite dangerous. "This better be important."

"M-Michelle wants to thank you both with a hefty lunch in the kitchen." Travis relayed.

"I'll go wash my hands," Gyro quickly stated as he all but ran into the bathroom and locked himself inside.

"Travis?" Kane drawled.

"Y-Yeah?" Travis questioned.

"I don't like you right now."

_a/n: This took SO LONG to piece together right (and probably has minor mistakes, my apologies). As such, any review no matter how big or small would be most appreciated._


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